The collection or capture of gaseous refrigerants to be evacuated from refrigeration systems is often not practiced due to the lack of suitable available commercial equipment or convenient methods. Although the use of fluorocarbon or CFC refrigerants are intended to be gradually phased out because of atmospheric and environmental pollution, even with the use of other gaseous refrigerants including hydrogen, nitrogen or polarized gaseous refrigerants such as ammonia, water, methanol, methylamine, sulfur dioxide, and the like, release of such materials into the atmosphere is environmentally and economically undesirable and may be prohibited by law. Similarly, the temporary evacuation or purging of toxic gases from chemical systems to avoid atmospheric pollution, or to prevent the loss of valuable or expensive gases, are of substantial interest, but practical systems for such uses are not presently available.